The Value of Quiet Leadership

As a senior in high school, I had my heart set on attending Mount Holyoke, a private women’s liberal arts college in Massachusetts. However, my high school advisors said I should not apply because my quiet introverted nature and lack of leadership skills made me a poor fit for an institution with a stated mission to prepare women for “lives of purposeful leadership.” Despite that advice, I applied. I decided I would rather face possible rejection than forever regret not trying. I was accepted and now serve as the college’s student government president.

When I started college, I decided to embrace new challenges and say yes to absolutely everything. This included serving as the senator for the Catholic students’ club, which was my introduction to student government. Initially, I felt inadequate after attending student government meetings. I struggled to speak up about issues or challenge viewpoints with which I disagreed. I felt frustrated with my lack of positionality.

Over time, I came out of my shell. As I progressed from serving as the club’s senator to serving in different student government positions, I learned to prioritize listening to my peers’ varying opinions on issues. Even though I was often still afraid to speak up, mindful listening allowed me to gain a big picture of students’ views, wants, and needs. I applied that to two practical initiatives during my first two years in student government: I advocated for providing free menstrual products on campus and for making laundry facilities free to use. In helping to make these changes, I began to reframe my “weaknesses” as strengths. I realized that respectfully listening and then taking practical action steps are valuable parts of leading.

I have experienced personal challenges as student government president. I struggle with self-doubt and lack of confidence even as I advocate for my peers and work to ensure their voices are heard. Despite these difficulties, I have been able to lead my community to make some positive changes. My peers and I helped the college start a program that provides transgender and nonbinary students with gender-affirming care, such as supplying chest binders. We’ve also worked to foster a stronger relationship among administrators, the board of trustees, and students.

I have learned that there are many valuable leadership styles—you do not need to be an extrovert to lead. For myself, I define good leadership as working collaboratively with, prioritizing listening to, and trying to understand those around me. I have come to believe that leadership in higher education should concentrate on and respond to students’ lived experiences. As a result of my student government experiences, I want to enter the field of higher education administration with a focus on building stronger relationships between students and administrators. I will bring to this work personal curiosity, strong listening skills, and a sincere desire to serve student populations.

Photo: Julia Keane (far left) and other members of Mount Holyoke’s student government prepare to present to the board of trustees. (Courtesy of Julia Keane)